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Munkeyfeet

Most versatile buggy chassis?

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Hey guys,

OK so it didn't take long for me to get the bug after beginning to sort out my vintage monster beetle for my kids. 

So I need a car (can't let the kids have all the fun).

It will only be used for the garden and similar places, I will want (due to my inner child) to be power sliding it through loose surfaces and making it jump. Always had 2wd but genuinely not bothered either way, 4wd has its appeal for an off roader. 

I would also like it to have lots of options available, hop ups, different wheel designs, different shells (buggy/truggy/car etc) so if I want to make it more of a truggy I can or if I want to put slicks on it and run it on the road but also can get creative with lots of options without it either needing lots of work to fit or costing a fortune because they are rare. 

What would you guys recommend for me?

Budget wise I guess up to £250 rtr

Thanks in advance for your help.

Al

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I think the DT03 is the better handling car but a DT02 has maybe got more versatile options available. I've got a DT03 and think you can't beat it for out of the box value.

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5 minutes ago, NobbySideways said:

I think the DT03 is the better handling car but a DT02 has maybe got more versatile options available. I've got a DT03 and think you can't beat it for out of the box value.

Thats a very good point, the DT02 is pretty bulletproof and comes with buggy, Nissan Titan stadium truck and those beach buggy things, including one with street wheels. You could do the lot with the DT02 without having to modify (other than buying the extra parts sprues for body mounts and wheels).

I guess you could argue the TT02 does the same - touring car,  drifter, buggy but thats some major surgery to switch between them.

There have been some good conversions of the DT03 as well with monster truck wheels, car bodies etc.

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Hmm, tricky.  The DF03 was a great buggy for pretty much everything but as raised in another thread, hop-up options are limited now.  Not sure what the gearing options are for fitting larger wheels.

My advice, if you want to do jumps etc in the garden, is to go 4wd.  A basic 2wd car is great fun for donuts but that soon loses its appeal, and there's no fun in lining up for a jump only for your buggy to bounce off in a random direction just before you hit the ramp.  But then again your terrain might be better than mine or you might just be a better driver :) 

Anyway, if I had to advice a 4wd buggy right now, I'd probably go Manta Ray or Top Force.  The DF01 is a tough old chassis (with the hop-up motor mount) and handles well enough for back-yard bashing.  It's neutral and goes where you point it.  There's enough gearing options to put on bigger wheels (the TA02-T stadium truck range have monster-size wheels on the same gearbox) and the tub chassis keeps out dirt.  The Top Force comes with the graphite chassis but also comes with an undertray to keep out the grass.

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DT03T Aqroshot, plus a set of Stadium Blitzer wheels and tyres for off road. Loads of hop ups available with tough flexi plastics. Pretty fast in stock form.

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Ok, so are we saying it’s between:

df02

df03

dt02

are any of those a winner or does one stick out to you guys?

i don’t care about out the box, just strong, lots of upgrades 😄

how does the tt02b stack up against them?

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In my view the DF02 is the winner.  Metal pinion gear, metal pinion/ring/spider gears for the diffs, metal dogbones.  Just add an aluminum center prop shaft, some ball bearings, 2.2" size buggy or truck wheels and tires, maybe some 5mm longer aluminum dampers, and you're good to go.  Some will suggest the lower suspension arm mounts are weak, but if you make your own U-pin with longer legs, you can tie it into the main chassis tub and make it indestructible.  The front and rear damper stays might benefit from some upgrades, like carbon stiffeners, as well.

The DF03 is a technical delight and is fun to drive, but it suffers from an uncommon pinion gear pitch (0.5 mod), soft-as-butter layshaft gear, weak rear ball diff, front diff joints that chip out, and a weak front damper stay.  The motor doesn't get a lot of air flow and needs heat sink bars added.  It does have better ground clearance than a DF02, but it also comes with 2.2" buggy tires by default.  Slap some DF03 wheels on a DF02, and that improves the situation for the DF02.

The DT02 makes you think you're getting an Associated B4 on the cheap, but it is nowhere near as capable.  Gearing choices are limited and there is no slipper clutch option.  The car tends to understeer quite a bit unless you add weight to the front end.  I have no experience with a DT03, but it uses the same gearbox as the DT02.  If you're looking for a 2WD buggy with lots of hop-up options you can buy over time, look for a DN01 Zahhak instead.  It's a decontented TRF201, so you can source the slipper clutch, the CVDs, the better turnbuckles, the big bore dampers, steering rack upgrades, different front camber options, different rear toe options, etc. from the TRF201 family and use them.  Even better, if you can find a used TRF201 for a good price, it comes with everything including stiffer plastics.  You really don't have to upgrade it except to select springs and damper oils to your preference.

So, look for a DF02 for 4WD, or look for a DN01 for 2WD.

The TT02B replaces a lot of the metal drivetrain parts of the DF02 with plastic.  Plastic pinion/ring/spider gears in the diffs, plastic dogbones.  The diffs are problematic with larger tires and more powerful motors.  Many people upgrade their TT02Bs with DF02 drivetrain parts, or source third-party solutions from GPM.  I'd avoid the hassle, in my opinion.

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@speedy_w_beans Thanks for that - super helpful and exactly what I was looking for. 

Id love the metallic red avante but that seems to be out of stock everywhere so missed the boat. 

Between these I'm guessing the only difference is the shell so go for the cheapest and mod from there?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TAMIYA-1-10-RC-Car-Series-No-550-Aero-Avante-DF-02-chassis-Kit-58550-From-Japan/163661180223?epid=1605396523&hash=item261af76d3f&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&enc=AQAEAAADMKvsXIZtBqdkfsZsMtzFbFsbX3WcW5fmB%2Fx7ZbaZTyex5r540oEHy%2BCYDT6%2BbpsxrepEkagswWBilk1vN7ZHY18IY9CiwUkdK8P9ruvWTdi3dJ33g2PH5SxYPFVPFK6Bzx%2FL39Oxc2ncbQeEUI1%2B0ojLz7b8WrSQ233RbuAt%2BJMoAcL4%2BVm3%2BCK3tSNz34cPSvjkdFb9YFctfiGTooLD9jrFOBqr1aIEk5CWu2z1tyWlKYtmVSbLCkajlvBG0dsq%2BkXaf9VkjuU%2Bez1%2Fw7hTvgn3x87%2BzvyWEeNERpnRVt2UY967%2FJOuc%2BLnUwSUDnmpVHBtS8yX%2Bh%2Bfqo5bzK5DOfefhPVgKzREVUDeqQmvm1smk3xBahKByUHLfvGlZO8Q6CE6fSVtYe%2Fxj8PkO2DBtT9yQ0jGxyH8TVLTyumLmWnOLTHueTRi1qZJMUmOtY7g1vFo603C2NvoV2nGjWHNXjE%2F6Lyfxh4NoDnRmKlPk6YaYo33bOtApESAgwhS9v9O0ht3kgT8qO%2BCk5JJsawNQPLB3LpS2LrLeBZOldAb3XaVMmRXAvCV%2Bbu3%2BYxJfyOLUXuFGguVjoeVqqioRf2rvu6BH%2BHkDu9ICvOnE7ROF4vA%2FxC8kvhVKGbavQtnIj3DzpsjQAV97ZmELnnU4A89iTBoug9AIHnGyM%2Ft5X3lZUFUjHlRs84d7ERl%2BQjPBUCMmKI6lkTUasYfIFLmQ5G3acq5ZCiVOOj4cwWIM2x3wBRY9pZMR70tiJzuljk7vreyNZX2oo1dTxvrS0Vi0zkVa8mm5ba1abLddv1nb4QG5iclYDZ8yRkvhyQ6TAXj67AMgSgVDsDAIhyhSg3Q%2Bcd9qcB%2FVYivStgbFqCysGT33i4d6X3dspa%2BC8f6g5C4Ydhv8qQ9d%2F8osyVbHIPrxpnggaMhEghnX7hdhOgo7iWYj%2FiLdoQdgMVE0XtFSDB4Le%2FtUBqDw94BA64LOS4d7C8hcHPplchq13HPsogJfcTIhlWtk3tLB1o8LzYEOK%2BUJMQODPldoLbVAiWLSD9e5111HUigW1guUjC9qLfQvRnPusSUR959ciGwD30eB7XqQ0gDMA%3D%3D&checksum=163661180223f9c9318ce5c742b8aebf71c2acc68c29

http://www.radiocontrolledshop.co.uk/58399-Tamiya-Plasma-Edge-Buggy

http://www.radiocontrolledshop.co.uk/Tamiya-Rising-Storm-Buggy-DF-02-58334

http://www.radiocontrolledshop.co.uk/Tamiya-Gravel-Hound-DF-02-58328

 

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@Munkeyfeet, yes, all the DF02s are the same except for the shell and maybe the color of the wheels.  Pick the cheapest and go from there.

I had suggested getting the aluminum center prop shaft, full set of ball bearings, and some 2.2" DF03 wheels to start.  I ran a DF02 with pretty much that combination and a Castle Sidewinder SCT 3800kV system for a good summer of bashing around the street and the yard.  It was about twice as fast as the standard kit silver can motor and showed no issues with the drivetrain parts.  DF03 wheels with Pro-Line Dirt Hawg tires:

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The kit CVA dampers with the kit oil are a little soft, but you could always source some 500 or 600 cst oil to firm them up some.  Or, get some aluminum dampers; they'll include threaded collars for setting ride height, and the pistons will have smaller holes which will improve the damping some.

The upper suspension arms are solid plastic as you can see; there's a DF02 turnbuckle kit available which will replace the upper suspension arms and the kit steering turnbuckles with something beefier.  That'll let you adjust camber and toe.

There are aluminum steering rack upgrades available which will remove some of the slop from the steering.  A stronger servo saver wouldn't hurt, although buggies aren't touring cars and I just left it stock for myself.

I'd avoid aluminum suspension arms and aluminum uprights/knuckles.  They just transfer the shock of an impact right to the chassis.  It's better to let the soft kit suspension arms soak up some of the forces.

Since this is a 4WD buggy it has 12 mm wheel hexes all the way around.  If you get tired of buggy wheels and tires, you can always get some 2.2" truck wheels and tires and run them instead.  At that point you'll want to consider a smaller pinion; instead of the kit 19T 0.6 mod pinion I think a 17T or 16T 0.6 mod pinion will work better with the same motor.  The smaller pinion compensates for the larger tire diameter.  I cut and joined two Lunch Box bodies at one point and mounted it on a DF02; a 16T pinion worked well.

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Then I went the other direction and cut and joined two DF02 chassis, and threw a Pro-Line Flotek short course truck body on top of it, also with a 16T pinion.

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So if you have the time and ambition, there's a lot you can do with one or more DF02 chassis.  Good luck with your choice!

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9 hours ago, Butler said:

DF01 Lancer is pretty versatile.

The DF01 chassis in general is pretty versatile.  Its a basher buggy (Manta Ray), its an "older" competition buggy (Top Force and Evo). The DF01's basic bones make up the TA01 and TA02 which could be a rally car, a touring car, an off road pickup (S10, Prerunner, etc.) and a Hummer. I think the only thing the DF01 architecture hasn't been morphed into is a monster truck although it easily could be. I think of the DF01 much like the DF02 but with more of an off-road slant vs the DF02's on-road slant. Both chassis have been many things. The DF01 started as a buggy changing into touring cars and such when it was developed into the TA01 on-road series. The DF02 actually started as the TT01 on-road chassis, then being developed into the DF02 off road series.

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Ok so df-02 is the tamiya model I will go for. Rising storm specifically (my daughters liked that the most).

Once I’ve added the hop ups and receivers etc I’m at £200-230 all in.

With that budget I could get a brushless Traxxas. So my next question is for that money what competes with the df-02. I have a soft spot for tamiya from my childhood but as we have one already I’d like to go in eyes open in case there is a blindly obvious alternative that’s better out the box for the same cash with just as many upgrade options.

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Most everything else will be 80% complete or RTR (ready to run) and not a kit, and some of this might be a little beyond your budget.  Some ideas for cross-shopping:

  • ARRMA Granite 4x4 BLX 3S RTR - $300 USD
  • HoBao Racing Hyper TT-e 80% - $245 USD
  • Kyosho Fazer Dirt Hog RTR - $210 USD
  • Pro-Line Pro-MT 4x4 MT 80% - $300 USD
  • Quanum Vandal 4x4 RTR - $130 USD

I don't own any of these, so you'll have to research what others say about them.  I'm heavily invested in Tamiya because:

  • I like RC kits; they're an extension to the static model kits I built as a kid.
  • They stand for "precision" and "passion" in their logo, and their tagline acknowledges their static model roots, "models suitable for radio control."
  • They have a long history and have stayed true to themselves (i.e., not bought by someone else, profitable, still as quirky as ever, same business leader with enthusiasm for models).

Tamiya is not "the fastest name in radio control," however.  Making it indestructible is not what they're about.  For crazy driving, I have a 1/8 scale truggy that keeps on ticking and some 1/10 scale Chinese onroad chassis I'm not heavily invested in.

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23 hours ago, Munkeyfeet said:

Ok, so are we saying it’s between:

df02

df03

dt02

are any of those a winner or does one stick out to you guys?

i don’t care about out the box, just strong, lots of upgrades 😄

how does the tt02b stack up against them?

Hold on there.

Why is the DF03 on the list?

It is not a good basher and there's next to no upgrades available. The ball diffs are pretty weak and it's just rather limited.

The DT03 was mentioned, and then someone brought up the DF03 further down.

I'd say the DT03 is great for what you want. You can run it as a buggy or a truggy. It is fairly durable and there's a nice assortment of hopups.

The DT02 is similar, but I don't know a lot about hopups.

If you want to try 4wd, the DF02 is great, but they are getting hard to find.

The TT02B has a ton of hopups and can be run in many ways. Buggy, truggy, rally etc. It will need a few things out of the box, but it's a fun kit.

I'd go with either the TT02B or the DT03.

What I like about the TT02B is the fact that it is super easy to convert it to 2wd. Just take out the front diff and dog bones, and you're ready for 2wd fun. Best of both worlds.

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Dt03 is more versatile but much weaker than Dt02, friends and myself have broken the front of dt03 chassis (not even bad crashes have caused it), so we quickly returned to Dt02!

 

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I've not broken my DT03 chassis since using good strong glue to glue the two halves of the chassis together. If you look at where they break (or did twice for me anyway) they do so due to poor design; only one half of the chassis is actually structural at the nose. Since glueing the two halves of mine together during assembly I appear to have sorted it, and thats on a hard used basher. Once the chassis is together there is nothing you need to separate it for. On the DT02 I don't like the bridge over the servo that always seems to come loose. But to be honest its not really a major issue.

Even with the chassis rebuilds I've never regretted getting my DT03. 

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The experience for me is 12 years no issues with Dt02 then within 6 months of dt03 4 chassis breakages (two of the four buggies were using brushless)

So can only recommend brushed setups for it!

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